Are asylum seekers escaping war now the target of arson attacks in Finland?

A two-storey building which was supposed to house asylum seekers next week in Niinisalo may have been the target of an arson attack, according to tabloid Iltalehti. We hope that this isn’t the case. The last thing that asylum seekers escaping war should face in Finland are arson attacks.

Let’s not jump to rapid conclusions yet until we have the official report from the authorities.

In Finland there have been a number offailed arson attempts targeting refugee asylum centers in cities like Ylivieska, Lammi and Kouvola, which have been reported by the media.

Some ten suspected rape cases committed by asylum seekers have been reported by the media. Such cases have added petrol to the xenophobic narrative that we see spreading freely and too often in social media and in the national media.